A Sketch of the Ann McKim from 1833
| Introduction |
| The First Clipper Ships |
| The Golden Age of Clipper Ships |
| Ship Characteristics |
| Conclusion |
Ship Characteristics
A Sketch of the Ann McKim from 1833
Technically speaking, clipper ships were not a specific design, with the exception of their narrow construction. They did not denote a particular sail rigging as there were many different types of clipper ships. The first Baltimore Clipper was based on British designs. It had a basic hull form with a heart shaped midsection, a short keel with very narrow outline, and a low-sided and sharp-bowed hull. These ships were extremely strong having iron strapped over the frames and on the sides of the keels. They were usually shooner, brigantine, or brig rigged. The large topsail schooners were introduced around the American Revolution and and attracted attention in Europe as well. The large topsail was said to define the vessel as a clipper ship. This was the most common design for clippers into the early 19th century but the low-sided hull did not allow much room for cargo.
The Ann McKim, one of the first American clipper ships which set sail in 1833, weighed 494 tons, was 143 feet long with a 31 foot beam, and it used square riggings. These ships usually weighed anywhere from a couple hundred to 4000 tons so one can see there was not set standard for clipper ships. Lengths of clippers ranged from 150 feet to about 250 feet. Crews ranged from about 25 to 50 men depending on the size of the vessel. The ships that had the sharpest bows, sacrificing cargo capacity for speed, were referred to as extreme clippers. The first extreme clipper was the Rainbow which weighed 757 tons and made a record setting round trip from New York to China and back in seven months and 17 days. Speeds for these extreme clippers were anywhere from 16 to 18 nautical miles per hour, some reaching record setting speeds of 20 knots.
Painting of an American Tea Clipper heading for China
Record Setting Clippers:
- Rainbow, in 1845 to China and back to New York in around tripof seven months and 17 days
- Lightning, which established a world record by sailing 436 nautical mi in one day;
- James Baines, which set a transatlantic record of 12 days 6 hr from Boston to Liverpool;
- James Baines, around-the-world record of 133 days;
- Flying Cloud, which sailed from New York City around Cape Horn to San Francisco in 89 days;
- Nightingale, which sailed from Shanghai to London in 91 days;
- Sea Witch, Guangzhou to New York in 81 days;